Low recoil deer caliber

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

I'm tossing the idea of getting my son a riffle for Christmas. he will be 9 in march. He has been shooting 22 for several years now and is doing really well with it. So I'm thinking of getting him a deer riffle that he Can practice with until He is of age to hunt. What are some options for low recoil deer calibres. Thanks for your input

Get a .243 Win. One of the BEST cartridges for Deer size animals. Just make sure that you get a good bullet to go with the cartridge.
Whether you are a Sasquatch size person (man or woman) or an Imp 70# + man or woman the .243 Win or a 6mm Rem will do the trick!!!!!!!
Light recoil and packs a PUNCH!

 

[Wadsworth]

And again I will mention the good ol' 308 as a cartridge. No custom chambers, No custom dies. It will get the job done if the range is right!

 

[jpndave]

I built a 6mm ARC on a whim and have fallen in love with the little cartridge. I'd get a Howa mini and go have fun! I'm thinking about doing another build using the mini action for myself. That would be a pretty much perfect combination to start out a new younger shooter. Get something that you can add length of pull as kiddo grows. 103 ELD-X would be a great deer round.

Compared to 6mm Creedmoor and 243, quite a bit less recoil and concussion. A little bit more than a 223. It's a nice balance and to reasonable ranges, plenty of deer sized game capability. Very accurate and a joy to shoot.

 

[Fowlplay66]

260 Rem. My boys really enjoy shooting it. Granted its around 9lbs with scope but has a real nice break on it. No recoil at all

 

[Lee Goodwin]

243....he will love it. His whole life. Get a nice one. Fun and effective on deer. Even elk legal in Oregon. Everyone needs a 243.

 

[MtPockets]

+1. Options 30-30

Or 7mm-08

 

[Small Lady]

243....he will love it. His whole life. Get a nice one. Fun and effective on deer. Even elk legal in Oregon. Everyone needs a 243.

Agreed!
Probably the most underrated cartridge of them all.

 

[Chrsm]

I think one of these should work

45-70 Govt	0.458	Elk at short range	3138
.450 Bushmaster	0.452	Elk at short range	2810
.444 Marlin	0.429	Grizzly Bear	3067
.416 Rigby	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5166
.416 Remington Magnum	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5123
.416 Ruger	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5498
.378 Weatherby	0.375	Cape Buffalo	6004
.375 Ruger	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4780
.375 H&H Magnum	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4560
9.3 x 62mm Mauser	0.366	Grizzly Bear	4017
.35 Whelen	0.358	Grizzly Bear	3932
.350 Legend	0.357	Deer at short range	1907
.338-378 Weatherby	0.338	Grizzly Bear	5035
.33 Nosler	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4799
.338 Lapua Magnum	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4851
.338 RUM	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4694
.340 Weatherby	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4674
.338 Win Mag	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4164
.338 Federal	0.338	Grizzly Bear	3340
.325 WSM	0.323	Grizzly Bear	3596
.30-378 Weatherby Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4666
.300 PRC	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4246
.300 Weatherby	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4092
.300 RUM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4135
.30 Nosler	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4111
.300 Winchester Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3827
.300 WSM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3718
.30-06 Springfield	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3179
.308 Winchester	0.308	Elk	2784
.300 Ruger (RCM)	0.308	Grizzly Bear	2948
.300 Blackout	0.308	Hogs	998
.30-30 Winchester	0.308	Elk	1942
7.62 x 39mm	0.308	Deer	1608
.28 Nosler	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3678
7mm Weatherby	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3482
7 STW	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3458
7 WSM	0.284	Elk	3255
7mm Rem Mag	0.284	Elk	3122
.280 Ackley Improved	0.284	Elk	2952
7 SAUM	0.284	Elk	3004
.280 Remington	0.284	Elk	2873
7mm-08 Remington	0.284	Elk	2528
7mm Mauser	0.284	Elk	2330
.27 Nosler	0.277	Elk	3513
6.8 Western	0.277	Elk	3011
.270 WSM	0.277	Elk	3072
.270 Weatherby	0.277	Elk	3176
.270 Winchester	0.277	Elk	2862
6.8 Remington SPC	0.277	Deer	1624
6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum	0.264	Elk	3395
6.5 Weatherby RPM	0.264	Elk	3098
6.5 PRC	0.264	Elk	2780
.264 Winchester Magnum	0.264	Elk	2766
6.5-284 Norma Match	0.264	Deer	2462
.26 Nosler	0.264	Elk	3125
.260 Remington	0.264	Deer	2273
6.5 Creedmoor	0.264	Deer	2231
6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser	0.264	Deer	1983
6.5 Grendel	0.264	Deer	1447
.257 Weatherby	0.257	Deer	2675
.25-06 Remington	0.257	Deer	2201
6mm Creedmoor	0.243	Deer	2125
.240 Weatherby	0.243	Deer	2099
.243 Winchester	0.243	Deer	1958
6mm Remington	0.243	Deer	1953
6mm BR	0.243	Paper/steel	1712
.22 Creedmoor	0.224	Coyote	1769
.224 Valkyrie	0.224	Coyote	1519
.223 / 5.56	0.224	Coyote	1499
.22 Nosler	0.224	Coyote	1613
.22-250	0.224	Coyote	1654
.220 Swift	0.224	Coyote	1766
.222

 

[UCzO___]

I think one of these should work

45-70 Govt	0.458	Elk at short range	3138
.450 Bushmaster	0.452	Elk at short range	2810
.444 Marlin	0.429	Grizzly Bear	3067
.416 Rigby	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5166
.416 Remington Magnum	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5123
.416 Ruger	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5498
.378 Weatherby	0.375	Cape Buffalo	6004
.375 Ruger	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4780
.375 H&H Magnum	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4560
9.3 x 62mm Mauser	0.366	Grizzly Bear	4017
.35 Whelen	0.358	Grizzly Bear	3932
.350 Legend	0.357	Deer at short range	1907
.338-378 Weatherby	0.338	Grizzly Bear	5035
.33 Nosler	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4799
.338 Lapua Magnum	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4851
.338 RUM	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4694
.340 Weatherby	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4674
.338 Win Mag	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4164
.338 Federal	0.338	Grizzly Bear	3340
.325 WSM	0.323	Grizzly Bear	3596
.30-378 Weatherby Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4666
.300 PRC	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4246
.300 Weatherby	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4092
.300 RUM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4135
.30 Nosler	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4111
.300 Winchester Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3827
.300 WSM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3718
.30-06 Springfield	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3179
.308 Winchester	0.308	Elk	2784
.300 Ruger (RCM)	0.308	Grizzly Bear	2948
.300 Blackout	0.308	Hogs	998
.30-30 Winchester	0.308	Elk	1942
7.62 x 39mm	0.308	Deer	1608
.28 Nosler	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3678
7mm Weatherby	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3482
7 STW	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3458
7 WSM	0.284	Elk	3255
7mm Rem Mag	0.284	Elk	3122
.280 Ackley Improved	0.284	Elk	2952
7 SAUM	0.284	Elk	3004
.280 Remington	0.284	Elk	2873
7mm-08 Remington	0.284	Elk	2528
7mm Mauser	0.284	Elk	2330
.27 Nosler	0.277	Elk	3513
6.8 Western	0.277	Elk	3011
.270 WSM	0.277	Elk	3072
.270 Weatherby	0.277	Elk	3176
.270 Winchester	0.277	Elk	2862
6.8 Remington SPC	0.277	Deer	1624
6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum	0.264	Elk	3395
6.5 Weatherby RPM	0.264	Elk	3098
6.5 PRC	0.264	Elk	2780
.264 Winchester Magnum	0.264	Elk	2766
6.5-284 Norma Match	0.264	Deer	2462
.26 Nosler	0.264	Elk	3125
.260 Remington	0.264	Deer	2273
6.5 Creedmoor	0.264	Deer	2231
6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser	0.264	Deer	1983
6.5 Grendel	0.264	Deer	1447
.257 Weatherby	0.257	Deer	2675
.25-06 Remington	0.257	Deer	2201
6mm Creedmoor	0.243	Deer	2125
.240 Weatherby	0.243	Deer	2099
.243 Winchester	0.243	Deer	1958
6mm Remington	0.243	Deer	1953
6mm BR	0.243	Paper/steel	1712
.22 Creedmoor	0.224	Coyote	1769
.224 Valkyrie	0.224	Coyote	1519
.223 / 5.56	0.224	Coyote	1499
.22 Nosler	0.224	Coyote	1613
.22-250	0.224	Coyote	1654
.220 Swift	0.224	Coyote	1766
.222

What is the number in the last column?

 

[Chrsm]

What is the number in the last column?

Rem

 

[Chrsm]

I think, if my son was young again
I would think of Fit first
Cartridge second
The cartridges that run in the ar15 platform would make wonderful deer killers whether bolt our gas!
And sorry for the sarcasm in my last post but I reload and any can be tamed for a shooter in mind.

 

[VinceMule]

A good friend killed 19 deer out of a box of 20 using Winchester 80g Soft point ammo in a 243, liberal limits in this state, took two years.

 

[FEENIX]

Ummmm, not exactly on the recoil vs .223. It has almost double the recoil as .223.
View attachment 508403View attachment 508404View attachment 508405

I am unsure what attributes were used to calculate the recoil on the chart, but I usually use one of the recoil calculators: https://bisonballistics.com/calculators/recoil. I did not make a recoil comparison between my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser (factory 139) vs. my .223/556 (factory 55), but I did compare it with my 6.5 CM (factory 125). I do not remember the actual numbers, but the felt recoil on the 6.5x55 seems less due partly to the rifle weight; weight is your friend regarding felt recoil.

 

[txaggie1]

For me and my kids shot 22-250's but we have really small deer and hogs here in central texas ranging 80-120lbs live weight.

But - i've kept a 243, 250 savage (love this one), 22-250's, 240 weatherbys, 6mm rem (couple of these), 25-06, 257 roberts for starters. We have 6 kids with first granddaughter OTW. My thought was baby steps -

plenty of 6.5 options that are worthy, but recoil and noise is a subjective thing and well lets face it kids today didn't grow up like we did and the generation before us - you might have one tough as nails or not. Only you know that - but sticking with 6mm class and I see I left out 243, perfect contender as well, just don't own one you can see i own many others - lol or some 25 calibers would make a fine hunting rifle for a youngster!

Good luck